Subscribe to this blog

Follow by Email

I am so excited to share my review today as part of the blog tour for Rainy Day Friends by Jill Shalvis. This series keeps getting better and better with each installment. Be sure to enter for a chance to win a copy at the bottom of the post!

Following the USA Today bestselling author of Lost and Found Sisters comes Jill Shalvis' moving story of heart, loss, betrayal, and friendship

Six months after Lanie Jacobs’ husband’s death, it’s hard to imagine anything could deepen her sense of pain and loss. But then Lanie discovers she isn’t the only one grieving his sudden passing. A serial adulterer, he left behind several other women who, like Lanie, each believe she was his legally wedded wife.

Rocked by the infidelity, Lanie is left to grapple with searing questions. How could she be so wrong about a man she thought she knew better than anyone? Will she ever be able to trust another person? Can she even trust herself?

Desperate to make a fresh start, Lanie impulsively takes a job at the family-run Capriotti Winery. At first, she feels like an outsider among the boisterous Capriottis. With no real family of her own, she’s bewildered by how quickly they all take her under their wing and make her feel like she belongs. Especially Mark Capriotti, a gruffly handsome Air Force veteran turned deputy sheriff who manages to wind his way into Lanie’s cold, broken heart—along with the rest of the clan.

Everything is finally going well for her, but the arrival of River Brown changes all that. The fresh-faced twenty-one-year old seems as sweet as they come…until her dark secrets come to light—secrets that could destroy the new life Lanie’s only just begun to build.

I had a fantastic time reading this book! I just didn't want to put it down once I started reading. I fell in love with this wonderful group of characters and couldn't wait to see how things would work out for them. This is the second full length book in the Wildstone series but it really reads as a stand alone with little connection to the previous installments beyond being set in the same town. I expected great things when I picked up this book and I am happy to report that it lived up to all of them.

Lanie hasn't had an easy time of things lately. Her husband died only six months ago. That is bad enough but after her husband's passing, she discovered that she wasn't the only wife. She takes a temporary position at the winery in Wildstone as a way to get away and regroup for a bit. She does not expect to be surrounded by a family like the Capriotti clan.

I loved the characters in this book. The Capriotti family were all wonderful. They were all genuinely caring people that never hesitated to take those in need under their wing. They were all just a lot of fun. I thought that the banter between the family members added a level of authenticity to their characters. Usually when there is a large cast of characters, I have a bit of difficulty keeping everyone straight but these characters were all so unique and had very distinct personalities from the start of the story. I think that Shalvis did a fantastic job with the character development in this book.

I loved Mark and Lanie together. They were just perfect together and complimented each other wonderfully. I like that they were both coming from a place where they didn't want a relationship but couldn't resist the draw towards each other. They had so much chemistry but the parts of the book that really made their relationship feel real were the more touching ones, such as Mark being there for Lanie when she needed him, or Lanie's interactions with Mark's girls.

This book had no shortage of excitement. I liked River's character but I had a feeling that she would make things interesting as soon as she entered the story. River and Lanie have so much in common and I loved how all kinds of relationships were explored in this story. I felt like we really had the chance to see these characters grow and learn how to deal with some of the hardships that have been a part of their lives.

I would highly recommend this book to others. I thought that this was a wonderfully written story filled with swoony and heartwarming moments. I can't wait to read more from Shalvis and I hope that we get to see some of these characters again in future installments in the series.

I received a digital review copy of this book from William Morrow Paperbacks via Edelweiss.

Excerpt

About the Author

New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis lives in a small town in the Sierras full of quirky characters. Any resemblance to the quirky characters in her books is, um, mostly coincidental. Look for Jill's bestselling, award-winning books wherever romances are sold and visit her website for a complete book list and daily blog detailing her city-girl-living-in-the-mountains adventures.

Lost and Found Sisters was my first book by this author and I LOVED it! I've been waiting ages for this one to come out, and I cannot wait to read it. I'm happy to hear there are plenty of swoony and heartwarming moments. It's crazy to think that she's dealing with her husband's death only to find out she wasn't the only wife he had. There would be so many emotions to deal with! Lovely review!

I just finished my last book, and am getting ready to start this one. I had no idea what it was about, and let out a little gasp about the second family as I read your review. I am not surprised you fell in love with the characters, because that's what Shalvis does, she creates a community of people you want to be a part of, and that's what keeps me coming back to her books.

From the moment Josie laid eyes on sexy, mysterious Shane Dean, she was in love. Their desire ignited a passionate affair, and within weeks, Shane had slipped a ring on her finger. It seemed her every fantasy was coming true . . . until her new husband disappeared without a trace. Now, two years and one broken heart later, Josie is shocked by the hospital calls: Shane has been found . . . at a crime scene with no memory of how he got there.

Her Love Can Save Him

Shane can't remember the blue-eyed angel at his bedside—or who he even is—but he knows something isn't right. His hearing is razor sharp, his physical strength incredible, and the urge to protect Josie overwhelming. For powerful enemies are hunting him, and Josie is the key to disc…

Books from the Backlog is a fun way to feature some of those neglected books sitting on your bookshelf unread. If you are anything like me, you might be surprised by some of the unread books hiding in your stacks. If you would like to join in, please feel free to enter your link and link back to this post, then spend some time visiting some of the other posts.

The Prisoner's Wife by Maggie Brookes
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group - Berkley
Publication Date: May 26, 2020
Date Read: May 25, 2020
Length: 400 pages
Source: Publisher ★★★★☆Inspired by the true story of a daring deception that plunges a courageous young woman deep into the horrors of a Nazi PoW camp to be with the man she loves.

In the dead of night, a Czech farm girl and a British soldier travel through the countryside. Izabela and prisoner-of-war Bill have secretly married, and are on the run, with Izzy dressed as a man. The young husband and wife evade capture for as long as possible, until they are cornered by Nazi soldiers with tracker dogs.

Izzy’s disguise works. The couple are assumed to be two escaped British soldiers and transported to a PoW camp. However, their true test has just begun as they face terrible living conditions and the constant terror of Izzy’s exposure. But in the midst of unimaginable horrors comes hope, for the young couple are befriended by a s…